


Let It Kill You

by SummerRaine14



Series: Future Bughead [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, Love, One Shot, Slightly notebook inspired, Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 18:00:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerRaine14/pseuds/SummerRaine14
Summary: Seven years after they last spoke, Betty and Jughead come face to face in the small town of Riverdale where they realize the last seven years have been based off of miscommunication.





	Let It Kill You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shrugheadjonesthethird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrugheadjonesthethird/gifts).



> Inspired by an aesthetic made by the wonderful @squids2therescue 
> 
> As I'm still struggling to write my multi chapters, I've been taking some time to step away from them and write little one shots here and there <3 I hope you all enjoy!

Jughead sat in the back booth of Pop’s as he did every night, with everything from the music to the food being the exactly the same as it always was- until  _ it  _ happened. It wasn’t unusual for Jughead to look up when the doorbell chimed, curiosity getting the better of him as he wondered who was stumbling into the small down diner this time. His guesses ranged from a group of teenagers coming for late night delights after sports practise or maybe even some adults finally getting away from their kids for a few hours- but nothing could have prepared him for who it really was. 

 

Betty Cooper- the perfect girl next door that had managed to capture and break Jughead’s heart over the range of a few short months. Their relationship had started off heavy, weeks of longing turned into one night of passion which led to a love story that not even one Nicholas Sparks could write himself. All it took for both their hearts to be owned by someone else was two simple summer months, sunny days and campfires at night. It was no surprise to anyone that Jughead had fallen for her almost immediately. From her long blonde locks that hung over her shoulders and shined in the sun to her emerald eyes and smile that lit up every room she walked into- Betty was the complete definition of a goddess. What did surprise everyone though, was how quickly she fell in love with him. The girl next door who had never done anything but the  _ right  _ thing was now sneaking out her bedroom window to jump on the motorcycle driven by the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. In a few simple words, Jughead Jones was everything Betty should not have wanted in a partner- but in fell for anyway. 

 

He looked at her now and it terrified him how little had changed since their goodbye on the old bridge on the other side of town all those years ago. He still found himself lost in the beauty of her eyes and felt the needs to connect their lips from one quick glance, but he knew times had changed and that he couldn’t. What was even more familiar- and probably the worst of it all- was the pure brokenness inside her eyes. The way she looked as though she hadn’t slept in days and that when she did her mind was haunted with nightmares and horror. Jughead started to feel as though he couldn’t breath when he noticed her walking closer to him- no- directly to him. She got right beside the booth he sat at before any words were shared. 

 

“Jughead.” Betty said, finally. She looked at him and tried to offer a smile but he could tell this was hard for her- that it was killing her as much as it was killing him. “Can we talk?” Those three words and that was it, Jughead couldn’t hold back and he stood from his comfortable seat before running past Betty and into the men’s washroom of the small diner. 

 

Jughead placed his hand under running water and splashed the cold liquid on his face to cool him down. He couldn’t believe that Betty really was here- and that she had wanted to  _ talk.  _ Seriously, seven years since their paths last crossed and a hundred letters sent to her but now she wanted to talk. No, Jughead decided. If Betty really wanted to talk she would have done it seven years ago went he sent the first letter, or 364 days after that when he sent his final one. Betty had her chance and Jughead would be damned if he gave her another one after all this time. Taking a deep breath as he had learned in therapy time and time again, Jughead took a look in the mirror before walking out of the bathroom and Pop’s diner- ignoring the call from Betty behind him. He got onto his bike quickly and made an exit to the one place he knew he could go and be alone. 

 

Jughead rarely came to the Twilight Drive-In anymore- ever since Hiram Lodge had closed it down and turned it into a place for those of higher spots in society it hadn’t felt like somewhere he was supposed to be. But there were times when his heart felt empty and he needed some kind of reminding of who he was before everything truly fell apart. 

 

The months before his life had changed forever Jughead found comfort in leaving his trailer and wandering off to the small drive-in of his hometown. It was actually the same place everything changed. 

 

_ It was the summer of 1997 when Jughead Jones sat alone in the production booth of the Twilight Drive-In, only leaving when he wanted a drink or food from the canteen (which was like every 15 minutes). What he never expected as he walked to get his 5th burger of the night was to come across was the unfamiliar beautiful blonde linking arms with the town’s rich girl, Veronica Lodge. “Her name is Elizabeth Cooper.” Jughead heard a female voice and looked up to see Cheryl Blossom, his life long friend. “Word is her family is here on business and they’re close with the Lodges. She’s here for the summer, maybe you can show her a good time.” Cheryl nudged Jughead’s arm and winked, but all he did in return was give her a glare. “Hey Veronica!” Jughead heard Cheryl yell and couldn’t believe the nerve on her as she continued, “care to introduce us to your friend?” _

 

_ Veronica walked over to the two friends with a smile on her face. “Well Cheryl if you must know, this is by friend from the city- most people will say her names Elizabeth but we call her Betty, she prefers it that way.” Veronica and Cheryl shared a look before she added, “Betty dear, this is Cheryl Blossom and her good friend Jughead Jones.”  _

 

_ A small laugh escaped Betty’s lips, “and I’ve always wanted to change my name because I thought it was bad.”    _

 

_ “More like outdated.” Jughead teased, surprising himself when he winked at her.  _

 

_ Time went on and a week later, the two young adults met again, Cheryl and Veronica escaping to have some alone time, leaving them to get to know each other. None of them having any idea that the conversations they had that night would lead to creating a story for the future. _

 

Jughead sat at the Drive-In on an old wooden fence and he tried to fight the memories in his mind. This place had once been his saving grace, his escape from the terrible reality of his life at home, and it became even more heavenly for him the night he met the only girl he’d ever loved. But then the day came when he showed up here for their date- and she was nowhere to be seen. Only for him to find out hours later that she and her family had left town. The pain he felt being here was indescribable, but the comfort of being alone couldn’t be beat and he’d never take that for granted. Of course, nothing was ever great in the life of Jughead Jones and that became clear when he saw Betty step out of her car-wiping away stray tears that had ruined her makeup. Unlike earlier in the evening when Betty walked closer to Jughead, he no longer felt compelled to walk away. But instead, he stayed seated on the wooden fence and waited for her to be no more than two feet away from him, standing close enough that he could feel her heavy breathing on his skin- a feeling he had no idea he missed until this second. When she came one step closer that’s when he noticed it- the diamond ring on her left hand. Suddenly, he felt like he couldn’t breathe and was trapped in some terrible reality that he couldn’t escape. 

 

Betty must have noticed his reaction to her ring because she slid it off her finger and smiled, “I called off the wedding.” Though it was selfish, the few words caused Jughead to relax. “Juggie, we really need to talk.” Betty stuck the diamond ring in her dress pocket and lifted her hand to cup his cheek, a feeling he had definitely missed completely over the seven years since she had last done it. 

 

“Was there to talk about, Betty? I said everything I had to say.” The words came out harsher than he had meant, but Jughead was still angry for the way he spent a year sending her letters and getting no answer in return. 

 

“I found out about the letters last week.” Betty admitted, knowing those were what he was referring to. “The wedding was supposed to happen next month and my mom and I were looking through her room for a family heirloom that I would wear when I dropped a box in the closet and letters- god so many letters fell out onto the floor.” Tears were threatening to fight their way out of her eyes while Betty struggled to stop herself from crying. “I asked my mom what they were and she told me that she had gone to the mail every day and kept them from me.” 

 

“You’re kidding me?” Jughead scoffed, “you’re telling me for seven years I spent wondering why you never answered me and it was because of your fucking mother?” 

 

“At the risk of sounding like a complete and total cliche, I never stopped loving you and I am so sorry it took me so long to come back to you.” Betty leaned in and connected their lips, feeling complete as chills ran down her spine. “I love you, Jug.”

 

Jughead wanted to cave and fall into her touch, connect their lips deeper and take her to bed- something they had never done over that life changing summer- but he knew he couldn’t. Lightly pushing her away from him, Jughead looked down, “You can’t just fix seven years with a few and three words, Betty.” He sighed, wishing this was all so much easier, “I love you more than you’ll ever know, but you were going to be married to another man in a month had you not found those letters. Does that not tell you something?” 

 

“I don’t love him.” Betty chuckled, her voice harsher than he was used to from such a sweet person. “He worked for my dad and they thought we’d make the perfect match, I thought I hadn’t heard from you since I left and I had no idea where to find you up until about a year ago,” she looked down and tried not to cry. “When I found your address last year, I came back and I saw you. I was so close to talking to you, but then-” Betty stopped, feeling sick at just the memory, “I saw you with someone else and it hurt too much. He had proposed the night before and I told him I needed time to think about it, knowing you were with someone else I went home and told him yes.” 

 

Jughead looked at Betty in shock, he hadn’t been with anyone else since their split, not for more than a one night stand anyway- but then it hit him. “So let me get this straight,” Jughead sighed, “we never got a chance to get back together because of your mother and then again 6 years later because you saw me comforting my sister.” Betty’s eyes widened and she felt like an absolute idiot. “Betts, the only person I’ve ever hugged in public since you, is JB.” 

 

“Jug,” Betty sighed, “Twice now someone has come between us finding each other, but look at us. Here, now, together with nothing but our feelings for each other and the future ahead of us. I know we’ve broken each other’s hearts in the past, but one summer was not enough for us.” Betty leaned in and kissed him once again. “I believed that then, and I believe it now. We deserve more time, and maybe even forever.” 

 

“You know,” Jughead leaned into her and returned the kiss, “someone once told me to find what I loved and let it kill me. You, Betty Cooper, might just be the thing I’m going to let kill me.” 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are greatly appreciated!


End file.
